It was kind of a sad moment.....

   We had been back from our trip about two weeks. I went to the freezer to find there were only two bagels left, bagels we had brought back from New Jersey. The morning we left to return home to Maine, even before the stop at the gas station, the first place was the local bagel shop.

   Growing up in New Jersey also meant growing up with some of the best bagels on the planet. True. One can purchase them in many different flavors, from either the frozen food shelf or the bakery section of the grocery store. But there is no better experience than walking into the local bagel shop, with the air filled with the smell of freshly baked bagels and being tempted to reach into the warm bag and biting into one of those warm,, tasty morsels even before getting out the door.

   My favorites tend to be the more traditional, plain, sesame seed. poppy seed (although never before going to meet someone) and blueberry. Every once a a while, I will add one or two, made of different dough , perhaps rye or whole grain. Whole grain is suppose to be better for you, right? But my favorite is still the plain one.

Back in the car, it was only a minute or two before the car was filled with the luscious aroma and even the dog took an interest in the bag, nose working hard to locate the smell, but now the bag was safely out of his reach and ours too, at least until we got home.

   For me, bagels have always been a popular addition to morning breakfast. Come to think of it, they are good just about anytime of the time. Whether fresh from the toaster and drenched in melting butter, or coated in cream cheese or just plan, the dense and chewy interior, wrapped with a crisp exterior often 'hits the spot' for a morning, afternoon or evening snack.

   Traditionally, bagels are shaped by hand in the form of a ring or circle and made from yeast dough. What makes them special is that they are boiled for a short time before being placed in the oven. I am not sure if the ones purchased from the freezer of your local grocery store are prepared in the same 'traditional' way. Size wise, they are much smaller, and in this case, size does matter!

   Historically, bagels first appeared in the early 1600's in Poland and it was not long before this rich and doughy pastry became part of the Polish diet and within a few decades its popularity rolled through Europe.

   Entry into the United States market occurred as Polish- Jewish immigrants moved from Europe to New York City. Bagel shops and an entirely new industry quickly spread across the city under the control and watchful eye of the Bagel Bakers Local 338, carefully maintaining its tradition of yeast dough and 'hand made'.

   Later companies would experiment and expand the bagel's popularity with automated techniques for mass production and before long, the bagel found its way into plastic packaging and the freezers of you local store.

    On this particular morning, nearly two weeks after returning home, we would finish the last two bagels. A sad moment. Yes. They were in the freezer to keep the somewhat fresh, but these were still the real thing, a crisp exterior, a doughy and chewy interior and ones that were not pre-cut, but required skillful hands or the use of the 'family bagel knife', the one passed down through generations, to split into two pieces in order to fit neatly into the toaster. No microwave here. The toaster will do just fine. And the butter and cream cheese were already in place on the counter along with a glass of orange juice and a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Almost heaven!

   We will be heading to Jersey again sometime soon and will make the familiar stop at the local bagel shop. But if anyone is coming to Maine this summer, a 'couple dozen' freshly baked bagels will always be welcomed at our house. And go ahead. Mix them up, but be sure to include a couple of plain ones too! I'll supply the butter and cream cheese.

   Did you know......'Bagel' is a Yeshivish term for sleeping 12 hours straight. “I slept a bagel last night.” Its origin may be traced to the fact that the hour hand on a clock moves in the shape of a bagel over the course of twelve hours. I knew there was a reason why I liked bagels!!